


The Carol

by BrokenPoet12



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alchemy, Angst, Barry Allen - Freeform, Charles Dickens Ya'll, F/M, Murder, Savitar - Freeform, cisco ramon - Freeform, ghosts of christmas past, speedforce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8833771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenPoet12/pseuds/BrokenPoet12
Summary: "Everyone loses someone Snow, the real test of character is what you do when they're gone."
Edited 12/13 for spelling, flow and a slightly different ending in the Cortex
My Flash version of the Ghosts of Christmas





	

This is slightly a/u in Season 3. Minor spoiler alerts for episode 9 and for the Alchemy reveal.  
Think the Ghosts of Christmas and you're heading in the right direction.

Excuse the odd spelling and format errors. Everything is written in a draft email and spell check doesn't always catch what I need it to.

I re-edited and reposted the cleaned up version with a slightly different ending in the Cortex.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She really shouldn't be here. 

The warehouse district of Central City had fallen into disrepair since the particle accelerator explosion and everything had changed. A city cannot guarantee financial security when buildings are blowing up and it's constantly under siege by meta humans hell bent on destroying it. Glass is blown out of windows all along the water front. Doors have been knocked from their hinges and several buildings are scarred by fire. 

So she knows she shouldn't be wandering the darkened streets that even the street lights won't chase shadows away from. But she walks on, steps echoing across an area that had been thriving with business less than five years ago. 

The chill on her neck is more pronounced and she shivers despite the cold that always resides in her. Dr Caitlin Snow knows all about cold now. Despite the inhibitors around her wrists, she feels it just under the surface. She hates it. 

She fears it. 

That is why she is here. 

Caitlin hadn't told anyone about her destination. She'd stood by quietly in the cortex while the others had discussed Alchemy and Savitar endlessly since the two had first appeared in the city. But she'd listened and started to plan. 

The only thing she wanted in a life full of abnormal experiences was to be normal. To be human. To be Caitlin Snow. 

That choice had been taken from her. And left her cold. Left her changed. 

Her life had become nothing more than the result of someone else making decisions for her. So she would take to back and by God she'd do it making her own decisions. 

So she walked alone along a dead waterfront, looking for the man who would help her. 

She needed Alchemy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She is not surprised when she hears footsteps behind her. It was pure luck that she had gotten this far before one of the others noticed her absence and pinged her location. Any second now and Caitlin expected the rush of wind that typically accompanied Barry anywhere he went. So the footsteps were not unexpected. Steeling her resolve, she squared her shoulders and turned around. Squinting in the dim light, she could just make out the man walking towards her. But it wasn't Barry or Cisco, or even Joe West. She'd recognize them even in the darkest of rooms. Just as she recognizes the set of the shoulders, the profile and gait of the man walking towards her.

She still gasps when he steps into the light.

"Harry?" Caitlin asks, not quite believing it. The fact that he is definitely Harry from Earth-2 and not HR from Earth-19 is clear as day. The two men are polar opposites, from the way they speak down to the way they walk and talk. The fact that Harry should be on Earth-2 and not standing in front of her doesn't immediately register. He stops about five paces from her a regards her with a slight smile. His eyes are warmer than she remembers, looking at her with more affection than she's ever seen him look at anyone, save his daughter.

He doesn't answer, but she sees his smile grow and something in his eyes changes. It causes a chill to go through her and she involuntarily takes a step back.

"You're not Harry, are you?" At her alarm, the man in front of her dips his head and sighs gently.

"We thought this would make you the most comfortable." He held his hands out, palms up to show her they were empty. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were guarded. "We thought this might make it easier for you. Given how you feel about him."

"What are you talking about?" Caitlin whispered, voice harsh and on edge. She took another step back. The man in front of her locked his hands behind his back and regarded her for a long minute. He cocked his head sideways before giving it a slight shake.

"It doesn't matter. What matters now is why you're here. Isn't it a little cold to be wandering the waterfront at night Caitlin Snow?" She starts to answer but he holds up a hand to stop her. "We're running out of time. You're running out of time. I need to show you something."

Caitlin feels panic soar through her and beneath the inhibitors the cold surges. She wants to run. But fear has her rooted to the ground. "Who the hell are you?" Her feet move forward of their own volition and she gets her first good look at this Harry. On the surface it would be difficult to tell the two men apart had they been side by side, but Caitlin has known Dr. Harrison Wells in three iterations and for over five years. This man is none of them. He stares her down as she appraises him; cold blue eyes never wavering from her gaze. His eyes are not right.

"I am here to guide you."

"Guide me where?" His chin rises and he speaks softly. As Caitlin listens, she feels horror. How could he know what she had intended to do?

"You came here to make a choice. We are here to show you what your choices will mean for the future of many, not just you. Savitar is coming. He will give you what you are seeking, Caitlin Snow. But you will pay a heavy price in return. I have one hour to show you exactly what this will cost you. And then you will be free to choose." Harry crossed his arms over his chest, regarding the young woman in front of him. She dropped her gaze to the ground. All she had wanted to was to be free.Now all she wants to do is run. But this man has her rooted to the spot she stands and now she is afraid. But she has been afraid for a long time and her fear has given way to an ice cold anger. She doesn't want that life. It is alien to her.

"I just want the pain to stop. I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of losing people." Caitlin is upset when she almost yells the words at Harry. He steps forward and places a hand on her arm, smiling, not unkindly.

"Everyone loses someone Snow, the real test of character is what you do when they're gone." Her head is pounding and his voice echos through the chaos. The real Harry had said those exact words to her the day they had met. The hand on her arms is neither warm or cold; it's almost like it isn't even there. She can feel the weight of it against her skin. Her eyes follow it up to his arm, to his shoulder and neck, taking in the detail of skin and clothing that are not quite right. It's his eyes though that are the most startling error out of all of him. The one thing that screams to her that this man is not Harrison Wells. All the same, Caitlin believes him. And knows he is not lying to her. Keeping her eyes locked with his, she hesitates for only a brief second before she nods.

"Show me then."

In a flash of light, they disappear.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They reappear in another blinding flash and it takes Caitlin a moment to regain her bearings. When she begins to recognize her surroundings, she looks around for her companion. 'Harry' is behind her, three steps into an alley. He is watching her intently.

"Where.."

Her question is cut off by the sound of glass shattering behind her. Spinning quickly, she turns just in time to see a gold flash streak past the opening of the alley. Just beyond her sight line, she can hear more destruction and people yelling. "Barry?"

"No one can see you or hear you. We are only here to watch." Harry's voice is close behind her and she startles at it. She feels a hand against her back pushing her forward gently and without realizing it, Caitlin has stepped fully out of the alley. Right into the path of a woman fleeing whatever is happening behind her. Caitlin braces for impact but it never comes. Instead the woman passes and keeps on running, leaving a stunned Caitlin in her wake. "Don't worry, nothing will hurt you while we are here. Physically." Again the hand on her back pushes and she begins walking to what she realizes is now the sound of a fight.

When she rounds an overturned car and steps fully into the street, she takes in the scene before her. Harry remains a quiet spectator at her side.

There is a fight in Central City. Barry is speeding through the street removing people from the destruction and deflecting larger pieces of debris from doing more damage. She sees several people fleeing around wrecked cars and slabs of concrete and glass. Orange and white lights flash off of the buildings around her. The orange must be the lightning from Barry. The white...

"Savitar..." She cannot see him, but she knows he is there. Barry is doing his best to dodge the attacks from the invisible speedster, but he seems to be growing tired. One of his feet catches a piece of concrete and the speedster flies forward, into a row of news stands. From her vantage point, Caitlin can hear him groaning in pain and watches helplessly as Barry struggles to gain his feet. "Get up Barry!" Without thinking she starts to move towards him until a firm hand pulls her back. Whirling to face her companion, she looks at him in fear and panic. "Let me go! I have to help him!"

Harry shakes his head sadly but lets go of her arm. "You can't do anything here. They can't see you Caitlin." Ripping away from him, Caitlin backs up and turns towards Barry. Without realizing what she is doing, she starts running across the street to her friend. She frees her wrists from the inhibitors and lifts her hands, prepared to defend Barry as he struggles to get back up. But the blast of cold that flies past her doesn't come from her and it hits Barry in the legs, knocking him to the ground again. Barry yells in pain and anger, but it is drowned out by cold, merciless laughter. Helpless to do anything but watch, Caitlin turns and sees a woman walking purposefully towards the fallen speedster.

"Well, well, well. What's the matter Flash? Not fast enough? You never could figure that little problem out. Seems like every speedster that has come along since you has been faster and stronger than you'll ever be. I bet that just stings." Killer Frost speaks in a higher pitch than Caitlin. Her voice is taunting and ice cold. Her hair is not entirely white, there are still streaks of brown throughout it, but her eyes are ice blue and her skin is pale. Still, Caitlin has seen her in the mirror more and more lately and seeing the woman who is undeniably herself stalking towards her friend, leaves her rooted to the ground. Silently Harry moves up to stand behind her and together they watch the scene before them. Caitlin is transfixed in terror. Harry, or whoever Harry really is, only watches Caitlin.

"If you're going to kill me, then just do it. I'm not going to stop when I break free. You belong in a cell." Barry grits out, pain and cold stealing the strength from his voice.

"You did this to me Flash. All of this?" Frost raises both hands and sweeps them around her, surveying the destruction in the street. "All of this is because of you. You couldn't just leave well enough alone and now you're paying for your sins."

"You made your choice when you killed Cisco, Frost. And I made mine. And I have to live with mine. Can you do the same?" Barry struggles one more time to stand, but the ice that covers his legs holds fast and wont melt. He tries and fails to vibrate, his power waning.

Killer Frost stops in her tracks and regards Barry with fury on her face. From her clenched fists, ice swirls and falls to the ground, leaving a trail of white in her wake. "Cisco shouldn't have gotten in my way. I gave him a choice and he picked the wrong side."

"And whose side are you on? Yours? Savitars'? He's using you to get what he wants and then he'll get rid of you, just like he did Julian. You picked the losing side."

Caitlin can only watch in horror as something on Frosts' face slips and rage takes over. In less than a heartbeat the woman is standing over Barry. With inhuman strength the meta has bent and pulled Barry up from the ground, holding the speedster in the air by the neck of his suit. She withdraws one hand and lightning flashes around her. It's white. Suddenly Caitlin sees a hulking metal figure standing behind Killer Frost and she knows without knowing that this is Savitar. Fear makes her shrink back and she collides with Harry still standing firm behind her. She feels his hands slide up onto her shoulders to hold her firmly in place. Hears his voice, whispered, full of sadness, against her ear. "You have to watch Caitlin."

She cannot look away.

In the space of a blink something has happened in front of Caitlin that she cannot process. Killer Frost hesitates for a split second, her eyes on the man that had been her friend. Barry regards her calmly, ignoring the demon standing just over her shoulder. "Caitlin..."

With an enraged scream Savitar is moving. A sinister blade slides from his arms and he lunges forward, impaling Killer Frost and Barry together.

Everything disappears in a flash of light except the steady weight of Harry behind her.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

She wakes into blinding sunlight and promptly finds herself on the floor. A carpeted floor next to what is very obviously a bed. In what is now clearly a bedroom. She is puzzled. Looking around wildly, she doesn't see her companion. With a pounding head, Caitlin presses her hands over her eyes and counts to ten. When she opens them again she sees a pair of bare feet in front of her. Startled, she jerks back quickly, hitting her head on a nightstand in the process.

"Babe are you okay?" The voice is familiar. It causes Caitlin to freeze. Daring to look up, she is greeted with the sight of none other than Ronnie Raymond. His hair is tousled and his shirt is half buttoned. The look of concern on his face makes her heart skip and a crushing weight settles in her stomach.

This can't be real.

When she doesn't answer, Ronnie kneels and takes her hands in his. His warm hands cover hers easily and she stares wide eyed at the touch. She can feel his warmth, and she can feel her own. She is not cold. For the first time in months she is not freezing from the inside out.

With a strangled sob, she springs forward and collides with Ronnie. He lets out an 'oomph' before falling back under their combined weight. Caitlin settles against him, holding tightly and feeling him solid and warm against her. If this is a dream, she can live with that.

After a long couple of minutes, Ronnie pulls himself back and looks at Caitlin with concern. "You alright?"

"I'm perfect." Her smile is wide and easy. "Bad dreams."

Ronnie nods and smiles back briefly before he sighs gently. Tucking a stray bit of hair behind Caitlin's ear, he dislodges himself so he can stand, then offers a hand to help her up. "Well we'd better get ready. We're running a little late."

Hesitating for a moment, Caitlin nods. When she doesn't move, Ronnie drops her hand and steps forward. "Honey? Did you hit your head that hard?"

"What? No! I'm just..I'm just out of sorts I guess." She offers by way of explanation and sighs in relief at Ronnie's understanding nod.

"Well that's to be expected given what today is. It's been a hard couple of weeks. First with Dr. Wells and his wife, and now this." He keeps talking as he moves to the other side of the bed. Opening what must be a closest, Ronnie rummages through until he pulls out a suit jacket and dark tie. Without warning, dread fills Caitlin and she watches Ronnie finish dressing. Her head begins to pound in time with her heart and she can barely get the question out. She half expects she knows the answer. She can feel it.

"What happened to Dr Wells and what are we going to today?" There must be something in her tone because Caitlin sees Ronnie stiffen instantly and his head snaps up in her direction. Caitlin's' eyes are wide and her voice is trembling. "Ronnie, what's going on?"

"Cait?"

"Just...just tell me."

So he does. Ronnie explains quietly and carefully that three weeks ago Dr. Harrison Wells and his wife Tess had been mugged while they we traveling in Coast City. When Wells stepped in to defend Tess, he was stabbed by the man trying to rob them. Tess was defenseless and two more men had grabbed and taken her. Her body was found several hours after her husbands and they had been buried a week ago. The day of the funeral, Cisco had not shown up and Caitlin and Ronnie had tried to find him. Several hours and panicked phone calls later, they located him at the Central City Morgue. He and his brother had gotten into an argument and were on their way home. Dante had been drunk, did not see the light, and had driven into traffic. Both died instantly. Caitlin had been called to identify Cisco's remains. His funeral was today.

The news hits her life a force of nature. She bows under it, feels it rip and claw at her, and then, surprisingly, she feels nothing. Ronnie is still watching her with guarded eyes but she is on autopilot as she collects her clothes. In a daze she finds herself dressed and walking out the door.

It barely registers that when they step outside that it's freezing out. The cold that she'd been so used to is absent, but now it's been replaced by a gnawing emptiness. She slips slightly as they step to the sidewalk and a pair of strong arms reach to steady her. Thinking it's Ronnie, she looks up with what she hopes is a grateful smile.

Harry is back. His eyes are still wrong, and they are full of pity. She can almost feel what is coming. He brushes snow from her face with his weightless hands and keeps her gaze locked with his. Vaguely Caitlin hears tires squealing and metal screeching. It happens in slow motion. Before she can look towards the noise, Harry speaks.

"I'm sorry Caitlin, but you have to watch."

She turns just in time to see Ronnie disappear beneath an out of control car. It had lost traction in the icy streets and come flying over the curb. As it spins, a transformer above them sparks and a blinding flash envelops them.

Then they are no longer there.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

"I can't take anymore. Please."

"Life has been monumentally unfair to you Caitlin Snow. And for that we are truly sorry. I know this offers little comfort and you may not believe me, but you were never meant to suffer so."

Caitlin has yet to open her eyes. If she does, she knows she will only see more death. Know more pain. If she keeps her eyes closed she can imagine that everything is okay. She pictures a beach. Warm, golden sun halfway down the horizon and a gentle breeze stirring around her. Then her ears pop suddenly and she feels everything around her shift again. There is a gentle weight on her shoulder, she can only assume it's Harry's hand. Daring to open her eyes, her breath catches when she realizes she is indeed on a beach. The sand beneath her suddenly bare feet is warm. The air is clean.

Caitlin looks around her and sees no one else in any direction. Except for Harry, or whoever he may actually be. He's sitting on a piece of driftwood, watching her expectantly. When she doesn't move, he holds his hand out for her. Warily she walks over, ignoring his outstretched hand and settles onto the log next to him. Her eyes follow the sand out to the water and from there up to the horizon. If she looks hard enough, she can see that none of this is real. But for now it is good enough.

She is warm again.

They sit like that for what feels like hours but the sun never moves. It could be evening or morning, time seems to have no meaning in this place.

Finally she is ready to talk. "Why are you showing me these things?"

"We needed you to know your worth Caitlin. We needed you to understand that you have as important a part to play as Barry or Wally or Jesse."

"But I can't do the things they can do." She stares down at her hands, wringing them in her lap before Harry reaches over and takes one is his own.

"You are your own person Caitlin. With your own path and destiny." His voice is gentle against the wind and it relaxes Caitlin. No matter how skewed his resemblance to her Harry from Earth-2 is, if she closes her eyes she can almost believe he is the real man she knows.

"Then why is my life changing because of someone else? Eobard and the particle accelerator? Barry and his damn Flashpoint? None of these were my decisions!" Anger rises quickly, but even it is tempered by this place and it flies from her almost as fast. Now she is just curious and tired.

"All beings live in an interconnected web. What one person decides may have repercussions for ten others who never meet. This is the way of all life. It cannot be stopped. It cannot be tampered with." There is a stern warning in the last, and she sees they are coming to the root of the conversation. After all, Barry had tried to alter the timeline for the sake of his parents and ended up changing countless lives in the process. "Time wants to happen."

"So when Barry chan..."

"Mr. Allen has faced the consequences of those changes and indeed will be facing them for decades. He faces them in the people around him, in the battles he fights, and the future that is not yet set in stone. You all do."

"Then why does it matter if I want to change my future? Why should only one person have a say in how my life turns out?" She asks, anger flaring again. If Barry is free to meddle, then she want to fix the things he's broken. She needs to fix herself. That was why she went looking for Alchemy. He had the ability to remove and give powers. She just wanted hers gone. She wanted a normal life.

"You think only one person is responsible for the life you're living today Caitlin Snow? You're very arrogant if you believe that." Harry speaks with something akin to disdain in his voice and he stands and walks a few steps away from the log. Caitlin sits, angry and hurt, waiting for an explanation. "There are an infinite amount of things that have shaped exactly how your life has come to play out. Infinite possibilities that are the defining moments for each and every life all across the multiverse. And they all lead to where each and every one of you stands at this very moment. No one person is responsible, no one event is the cause. Life is the cause Caitlin. Life is the cause and each and every single one of you is the how, the why, and the what."

"So what am I supposed to do now?"

"Well that's the question isn't it? That is exactly why I am here." He's vibrant now, in ways that almost mimics the Harry and even the Wells she knew when Eobard had been in her life every day. He walks back to the log and kneels down in front of her. Caitlin watches him warily but Harry just smiles fondly at her, taking her hands tightly in his.

"Who are you?" She should have asked when he first appeared on the waterfront. And it seems almost too late now, but she can't help herself. This man is so shockingly like and unlike the man she's known that it's both unsettling and comforting. But deep down she knows she can trust him.

"I am a guide." He answers, as if that's the only thing she needs to know. Still she persists.

"But why come to me?"

"Because you needed me Caitlin. Just like you need the real Wells and Barry and Cisco. Just like you need all of them. Just like they need you."

"They don't need me..." She mumbles, head dropping down as she is unable to meet his eyes. But Harry doesn't give her the chance to hide and lifts her chin with his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"They all need you Caitlin." When she starts to protest, Harry places a finger against her lips and shakes his head. "I have two more things to show you and then you're going to have to make a decision. The things that you have already seen are not set in stone. They are what Savitar will offer you. But he will not show you his treachery. You will go to him and he will either take you into his service or free your from your powers, we don't know which. But what you saw will be the ultimate outcome of either. That much we do know."

"But how can you know this?" Caitlin breaks free and paces away from the log. When Harry doesn't immediately answer, she start walking towards the water. She's halfway there before she realizes that Harry is already waiting for her. His pants are rolled up to his calves and his feet are in the gentle surf. He extends a hand for her again and this time she accepts it. A feeling of rightness settles in her chest, driving away the emptiness for the first time in as long as she can remember.

"I know because I must. I wont lie to you. I cannot influence your choice, or coerce you into one decision or another. I can only offer guidance to those that need it. We did much the same with your friend Barry when he was lost for a time. You are lost now Caitlin. But I will not let you fall."

Caitlin finds herself enveloped in a tight hug that is both confining and weightless at the same time. She lets it consume her and when they separate she feels her resolve snap into place. Stepping back, she doesn't let go of Harry's hand as she turns to face the sun.

"Show me the rest. I'm ready to see."

"I know you are Caitlin. We believe in you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They travel quickly, as observers again. They are in the city again, just a block from Jitters. Caitlin knows the area like the back of her hand. It's dark and cold, so it must still be winter. Harry is beside her, hand still entwined with hers. She feels his strength and together they step forward.

She can hear Barry's voice in the distance, panicked and pained. Caitlin also hears Iris. Iris sounds calm, afraid but calm. Caitlin throws a glance at Harry and the grim set of his mouth tells her all she needs to know. They round the corner of the block together and watch the scene before them unfold.

Iris is being held in the air by an invisible force, which can only mean Savitar. A dozen feet from the two, Barry is pleading with the invisible speedster. Iris is calm. She must know she's going to die. Time seems to slow to a crawl as Barry starts to run. Without seeing, Caitlin knows what will happen. She feels Harry's hand tighten around her own and his whispered voice in her ear is a small comfort on this cold street that is going to be filled with death.

"I'm sorry Caitlin, but you're going to have to watch."

They disappear in a flash just as Barry's scream echos across the lifeless stone.

"He has seen his future. But he must learn from the past."

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They are in the Cortex together. The clock on the wall indicates that it is after midnight, about three months from when Caitlin had been on the waterfront. She and Harry are observers for a final time. She can still hear Barry's anguish echoing around her, but she feels more sure of herself now. Ready. She wonders if this last trip is going to be necessary and the unasked question is brushed off by her companion.

"Just trust me."

"I do." Their hands are still linked as Harry guides them into a corner, out of the main walk way. As if on cue, she watches as the real Harry and herself walk into the room. This is not the HR Earth-19 version either. This is the real deal, Earth-2 Harry in all of his apparent sarcastic and grumpy glory. Caitlin grins despite herself and leans back against the wall as she watches.

"Look, Snow, I'm telling you I don't need a nurse. I'll be fine. I can put a band aid on it if it's that bad!" Harry says, attempting to brush the woman trailing after him off. He's irritated, and favoring his right hand. He pauses to try and rummage through a drawer one-handed, before failing. With a frustrated sigh, he slams the drawer, walks over to one of Cisco's work tables and with a flourish, sweeps a whole corner of its' contents onto the floor. Caitlin had watched the entire episode with her arms crossed, waiting for him to finish his tantrum.

"First off, Harry, it's Dr. Caitlin Snow. D-O-C-T-O-R. Yeah, I forget too sometimes. Second, the first aid kit isn't in there, it's in MY doctors office, through the door behind you. And third, I could have had it stitched up by now if you hadn't decided to throw a tantrum." She stares Harry down and he just stands there, his mouth slightly open like he's going to argue. Without another word, Caitlin stalks over to him, grabs him by his shirt and drags him after her. She gives him a gentle shove in the general direction of the bed and puts on a set of gloves. By the time she turns around, Harry is sitting down, a sheepish look on his face and his injured hand propped up by a metal instrument tray.

Neither of them speaks as Caitlin begins examining Harry's hand, trying her best to be stern. As she turns it to get into better light, she catches Harry staring at her. When she looks again and he's still doing it, she stop and straightens before cautiously asking him ,'What?"

"There's something different about you, Caitlin." She lets out an indignant, unladylike snort at that and Harry rolls his eyes. "You know that's not what I meant." He's gesturing at her new inhibitors. He'd brought them as a gift to her a week before when he'd returned. They were stronger and helped her regulate her mood and temperature fluctuations more evenly and easily. She could touch someone with them.

"I'm just me, Harry. Just Caitlin." She shakes her head dismissing him, and goes back to examining his hand. He wont need stitches, so she seals the cut with steri-strips and wraps it with gauze. As she removes her gloves and goes to step away, Harry takes her hands gently in his. She looks down at the contact, watches his thumb brushing over the back of one of her hands. Noting how rough his skin feels, and how warm he is to her. When she remember to breath and look up, Harry is smiling at her.

"You're extraordinary Caitlin Snow."

Blushing furiously Caitlin struggles to speak and can't do anything but duck her head. When she chances a look up, Harry is still smiling and so she smiles in return. Then, without warning, Harry leans in and presses his lips gently against hers. She doesn't even have to think about what to do. She kisses him back gently, a hand wandering up to his neck. She can still feel his smile against her lips. When they finally separate, she looks at him questioningly and it's Harry's turn to blush. Clearing his throat he dips his head briefly before standing up from the bed and running his good hand up, to settle against her cheek.

"Don't ever stop being you."

And he kisses her again.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Caitlin and her companion are surrounded by light and color. It is so pure and clean that Caitlin cannot feel anything but hope. Harry stands in front her her, a smile on his face and hands clasped behind his back.

"Are you ready to go back Caitlin?"

"I think I am." He smiles and nods. Caitlin looks around her before throwing a questioning glance at Harry again. "Was all of that...was it certain?"

"No. You have the most extraordinary power of all. You get to chose the future you want. And you get to do it, knowing something of what that future will bring. Not many beings get that opportunity Caitlin. All I ask is that you don't waste it."

"That last part, with Iris and Barry...?" She asked, suddenly afraid for them. Harry regarded her for a long minute before deciding on an answer.

"Barry has seen his future and must now learn from his past. He will either see it come to fruition or he will change it. But that power is in his hands. Just as your future will be written by you."

"And...Harry and I? The real Harry I mean?" She is embarrassed again as she remember watching herself kissing him. It is hard to reconcile her companion and the man she knows he is not. Especially since she had just watched herself kissing the real Harry.

"As I told you when we met, this form was chose to make you the most comfortable because of the way you felt for that man. Were we wrong?" Harry's smile is playful now and he lets out a short laugh when Caitlin shakes her head quickly. "Our time is up Dr. Snow. Your future is what you will have it be. I wish the best for you and we will be watching to see how it turns out."

Without waiting for a response Harry leans forward and presses a gentle kiss to her forehead. It makes Caitlin close her eyes despite doing her best to keep them open. In a flash of blinding light, she feels her ears pop and everything comes back to her.

She is at the waterfront again. She knows she shouldn't be here.

So she leaves.

 

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The End


End file.
